The present invention relates to a dispenser assembly for the dispensing of a composition formed from at least two phases, in a variable ratio of concentration of the phases. In particular, the invention includes dispensing of compositions formed from at least two phases which are mutually immiscible and of differing densities. The assembly according to an embodiment of the invention may be used in numerous applications. For example, the inventive assembly may be used in cosmetic applications to dispense perfumes, haircare products, skincare products, and other similar products. It also may be used for dispensing pharmaceutical, dermatological, and food products, and in other similar dispensing applications.
Dispensers fitted with an xe2x80x9cairless pumpxe2x80x9d are commonly used in fields such as cosmetics. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cairless pumpxe2x80x9d refers to a pump that provides pumping of a substance from a container in essentially a single direction without permitting reverse (intake) flow of air via the pump. That is, as product is pumped from the container, the pumped product is not replaced with a corresponding volume of air through the pump. In addition to preventing reverse intake flow of xe2x80x9cairxe2x80x9d via the pump, an xe2x80x9cairless pumpxe2x80x9d typically does not allow intake of any other substances to replace the volume of product pumped out of the container. For example, an xe2x80x9cairless pumpxe2x80x9d could include a one-way valve, such as a check valve.
Cosmetic dispensers using xe2x80x9cairless pumpsxe2x80x9d dispense products in the form of a single, generally liquid, phase. For example, body milks, moisturizing products or sunscreen products all are typically dispensed using these dispensers. Dispensers of this type are particularly advantageous in that they substantially isolate the product from the air or other surrounding environment.
Compositions with two or more phases, for example, an aqueous phase and an oily phase, also are known in the field of cosmetics. Examples of such compositions include mouthwashes, care lotions, sun lotions, skin cleansers and make-up removers, and other similar products. In these products, compositions are in the form of separate phases, either for aesthetic reasons (for example, two different colours), or as a result of the incompatibility of the compounds in each of the phases. These compositions generally are applied as a mixture or temporary mixture of the phases which form the composition, either by dispensers with a pump operating with air intake, or by bottles without a dispensing pump and generally including walls which are flexible so as to expel the product upon the application of pressure to the wall exterior.
In the field of cosmetics, behavioral studies have demonstrated that a large number of consumers use, or desire to use, perfumes of different strengths or of different notes. For example, consumers often prefer to use a somewhat lighter perfume in the morning and/or at the office and a heavier perfume in the evening. Consumption habits of this type inevitably lead to the multiplication of bottles, i.e., one for each different perfume. However, transporting numerous bottles, particularly in a handbag, may prove difficult. Moreover, only a limited number of different products may be carried.
Still in the field of perfumes, the application of perfume or cologne, generally in aqueous-alcoholic phase, often may be harsh on the skin. Under these conditions, it would be desirable to follow this application with an application of a product with soothing properties, such as Allanson or oat extract. This too requires the user to carry at least two different bottles at a time. Moreover, this multiplies the application operations and therefore increases application time.
Aside from perfumes, for a large number of cosmetic products, a user may desire to combine application of one product with the application of a product having complementary or different properties. For example, certain haircare or skin-treatment products may be used in combination with color pigments for the skin or the hair, respectively. The color pigments may vary as a function of the desired hair or make-up color.
These problems of combined or separate application of two complementary or different products also arise in fields other than cosmetics, such as the pharmaceutical, dermatology, and food industries.
Thus, one of the objects of this invention is to produce a unitary assembly for the combined or separate application of two or more products with complementary or different actions.
It is a further object of the invention to produce a unitary assembly for the application of the principal phase of a composition, optionally combined with a secondary phase of the composition, so as to modify the properties of the principal phase or to confer new properties on it. In addition, the concentration of the secondary phase in the composition dispensed may be chosen as desired.
Yet a further objective of the invention is to allow the production of an assembly for the dispensing of a composition in a variable ratio of concentrations of the phases constituting the composition.
It should be understood that the invention could still be practiced without performing one or more of the preferred objects and/or advantages set forth above. Still other objects of the invention will become apparent after reading the following description of the invention.
To achieve these and other advantages, and in accordance with the purposes of the invention, an embodiment of the invention includes a dispense, comprising a container having a variable volume interior. An airless pump is in flow communication with the interior and a composition is arranged inside the container. The composition is formed from at least two phases which are substantially immiscible and have differing densities. In a preferred embodiment, the container interior volume decreases in an amount corresponding to the amount of composition pumped from the container.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9ccontainer having an interior with variable volumexe2x80x9d refers to a container whose interior volume reduces in conjunction with the dispensing of the product from the container. In a preferred embodiment, the interior volume decreases in an amount proportional to the amount by volume of product dispensed from the container. The reduction in the volume of the container results from the reduced pressure which occurs with each dispensing of the product from inside the container. The dispensed product volume is not replaced by a corresponding volume of air or other substance, due to the absence of intake of air. Indeed, the pump prevents intake of air or other substance into the container, which otherwise would offset the reduction in product volume inside the container interior. The pump may optionally be of the precompression type so as to promote the mixing of the phases of the composition.
The composition according to the invention comprises at least two phases that are not permanently and completely miscible. For example, the two phases may include two substantially immiscible oily phases of different densities, an oily phase and an aqueous phase or an oily phase and an aqueous-alcoholic phase, or other similar combinations of phases. As a result of the difference in density between the two immiscible phases, the heavier phase should normally be deposited (sedimented) in the bottom of the container while the lighter phase should normally float on top of the heavier phase. The rate of separation of the phases varies as a function of the difference in density between the two phases. Agitating the contents of the container preferably forms a substantially homogeneous xe2x80x9cmixturexe2x80x9d of the two phases in the form of a dispersion, suspension or emulsion. By allowing the composition to be free of agitation, the phases xe2x80x9cdemixxe2x80x9d, or separate, through the affect of their density differences. By selectively arranging the container, it is possible to dispense either one of the individual phases at a time, or a mixture of the two phases at the same time. The present invention preferably allows a user to control the respective concentrations of each of the phases of the dispensed composition and thereby enables a user to dispense a multitude of different compositions using a single device.
For example, it is possible to dispense a perfume or cologne whose strength and scent may be chosen as desired. The user thus has available, inside a single dispenser, a perfume of lighter scent and perfume of stronger scent, for example. Furthermore, the user may change the strength of the perfume scent in a subtle and continuing manner, from the lighter to the stronger, for example, by controlling the ratio of concentrations of the mixture of the two perfumes. Such ratio could be controlled by the length of time and degree of agitation applied to the dispenser.
In a manner similar to controlling the strength of perfume scent to be applied, it also is possible to dispense a color or make-up composition whose shades and nuances may be chosen as desired by using the inventive dispenser.
According to a further advantageous aspect of the invention, it is possible to have a first phase product (for example, perfume, cologne, moisturizing composition or the like) forming the principal phase of the composition, that is the phase applied principally or routinely, and a secondary phase product (for example, products containing sun filters, softeners, cicatrizing agents, soothing agents, essential oils) within the interior of the container. Thus, the user may use each phase either individually, or in combination, so as to modify the characteristics of or add properties to the principal phase. The concentration of the secondary phase that is dispensed preferably depends to a large extent on the degree of agitation of the dispenser prior to dispensing.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, the composition may comprise two liquid phases. For example, these may include an alcoholic or aqueous-alcoholic first phase (for example, a perfume) and a second oily phase (for example, a softening or soothing care product). The liquid may also be in the form of a gel or of an emulsion (for example, a hydrocarbon phase). As discussed in detail below, the composition used in the dispensing assembly according to the invention also may comprise a liquid phase and a particulate, preferably a solid particulate, phase. The particles may be heavier or lighter than the liquid phase.
In the case of a composition formed from a first liquid phase and from a second liquid phase, arranging the dispenser in a first position (for example, an upright position), causes the phase in flow communication with the pump to be dispensed. The lighter phase will be dispensed when the pump is provided without a dip tube (i.e., a tube providing flow communication between the pump and the bottom region of the container interior) and the heavier phase will be dispensed when the pump includes a dip tube. By inverting the container from the first position to a second position (for example, an upside-down position), the heavier phase will be dispensed when the pump is provided without a dip tube and the lighter phase will be dispensed when the pump includes a dip tube. By agitating the contents of the container so as to form a substantially homogeneous mixture or suspension of the two phases, a mixture formed partly from each of the phases will be dispensed. The respective concentrations of each of the phases preferably depend to a large extent on the degree of agitation and on the dispensing position, for example, upright or upside-down.
In the case of a composition having a particulate phase in a liquid phase, it is possible to dispense the liquid phase either alone or in combination with the particulate phase. The concentration of particles of the composition dispensed depends in part on the degree of agitation of the container.
According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the dispenser container may include at least one deformable portion. For example, the container may be formed from a flexible pouch. A pouch of this type may be formed from one or more layers of thermoplastic materials, such as polyethylene, polypropylenes, PET and/or metallic materials, such as aluminium. Preferably, the thickness of the walls is sufficiently small so as to allow them to come into contact and collapse upon themselves as the product is pumped from the container without replacement by a corresponding volume of air during dispensing. The cross section of the container may have any shape, such as, for example, square, oval, circular, elliptical, octagonal, and other suitable shapes.
The embodiment including a flexible walled pouch is particularly advantageous in that it offers increased operational flexibility. Moreover, the pouch with flexible walls makes it possible to use highly liquid phases, which may be more difficult to achieve with other devices.
Preferably, the pouch with flexible walls is arranged inside a rigid enclosure or housing. This rigid enclosure ensures that the container does not collapse or fall over, particularly when placed in an upright position, practically empty. Preferably, an air-intake orifice is provided in the housing holding the pouch. A particularly suitable location for such an orifice is in the bottom of the enclosure. This allows the intake of air into the area located between the rigid housing and the flexible pouch as the latter shrinks in volume after each dispensing operation.
A mechanism to prevent the blocking of an inlet passage of the pump may be provided when the walls of the pouch collapse on themselves in conjunction with the emptying of the container. In the case of a pump without a dip tube, it is preferable to provide either a corrugated grid arranged inside the container or protuberances made on the walls of the flexible container. Such corrugations or protuberances define channels that allow the product to be conveyed towards the pump when the pouch walls are in a collapsed state as a result of dispensing. Other mechanisms for defining a product flow path also may be used and are considered within the scope of this invention.
Alternatively, the container includes one of a flexible tube, a bottle with walls forming a bellows, a blown or coextruded bottle with thin walls, a container with a membrane, particularly an elastic membrane, or a bottle including a follower piston arranged inside.
In using a container equipped with a follower piston to dispense one or more liquid phases, it is preferable to provide a seal to prevent leakage of liquid around the piston head. To accomplish such sealing, the piston peripheral surface is preferably disposed against the inner surface of the container. However, as the piston""s peripheral surface gets closer to the container inner surface operating flexibility may decrease. Moreover, when agitating the container to dispense a mixture of the phases contained in the container, one should take care to avoid moving the piston back into the body of the container, possibly disrupting dispensing.
The pump may be fitted directly onto the container or onto an intermediate fitting piece by crimping, screwing, force-fitting, or other suitable like fitting methods.
The pump also may be supplied with product from the bottom portion of the container via a dip tube, or other suitable delivery mechanism. The tube free end descends from the pump to approximately the bottom of the container. Thus, in the case of a composition with two liquid phases, the pump is preferably supplied with the heavier phase product when the dispenser is in the upright position. When the dispenser is in the upside-down position, the pump is preferably supplied with the lighter phase product via the dip tube. The pump may also be in direct flow communication, i.e., without a dip tube. In the absence of a dip tube, the pump preferably includes a pushbutton coupled to the pump. Such a pump also may include a diffusion mechanism, such as a nozzle. Other similar suitable diffusion mechanisms also may be used and include, for example, a grid, a frit, and an applicator endpiece.
According to yet another embodiment of the invention, the composition to be dispensed includes a liquid phase and a particulate phase, in particular a solid particulate phase, with the particulate phase having a density different than that of the liquid phase. The particles may be either heavier or lighter than the liquid phase. Particles of this type may be in the form of a powder, microcapsules or nanocapsules, pigments, fillers, pearlizers or talc, or other similar particles.
An example of such a liquid/solid particulate composition includes a liquid perfume phase incorporating microcapsules containing the liquid perfume phase or another perfume in the form of essential oils. The walls of microcapsules of this type may be formed from phenolic compounds, alginate, gelatin, cyanoacrylate, or other similar suitable materials.
An example of such a liquid/solid particulate composition includes 5 g of microcapsules of the above-described type placed in a 50 ml container. The container is filled up with the liquid phase, which may be in the form of a perfume. The microcapsule particles, which are heavier than the liquid, settle in the bottom of the container. When the dispenser supplied with a pump having no dip tube is held upright, preferably only the perfume is sprayed or dispensed. By agitating the container, the microcapsules tend to be suspended in the liquid phase. The microcapsule concentration at a given location in the container generally depends on the degree of agitation of the container. The product contained in the microcapsules is released, either by xe2x80x9ccrushingxe2x80x9d action during their passage through the pump, or by light massaging after deposition on the skin.
Preferably, the particulate phase represents approximately 0.5% to approximately 30% by volume of the total volume of the composition and, more preferably, approximately 1% to approximately 10% of the total volume of the composition.
According to yet another embodiment, the composition includes two substantially immiscible liquid phases of different densities. By way of example, this can include an aqueous or aqueous-alcoholic phase and an oily phase.
An agitation mechanism, such as a ball provided within the container interior, may be provided so as to allow the contents of the container to be mixed more effectively during agitation of the container. This agitation mechanism may be especially advantageous in the case of two phases which are relatively difficult to mix.
Yet another aspect of the invention relates to the use of a container of variable volume interior provided with a pump that preferably permits flow in only one direction to dispense a composition in a variable ratio of concentrations of n phases, where nxe2x89xa72 and at least one of the phases is liquid. The phases additionally are substantially mutually immiscible and have differing densities.
The ratio of the respective concentrations of each of the phases preferably varies throughout a relatively wide range. At one end of the range, the composition dispensed may be formed of 100% of the light phase. At the other end of the range, the composition for dispensing may be formed of 100% of the heavy phase. Preferably there are numerous phase concentrations between the two extremes and they are chosen by the user as desired, preferably by altering the degree and period of agitation prior to application.
In the case of a three-phase composition, including, for instance, two liquid phases, it is possible to selectively dispense a first, lower density phase individually or a second higher density phase individually, or a mixture of the first and second phases along with a third phase of intermediate density between the densities of the first and second phases. Any number of phases may be provided in the container and selective dispensing of at least two of the phases independently or a mixture of all of the phases at once can be provided. Selected phases to be dispensed independently may be accomplished by providing a dip tube of a predetermined length, or by varying the amounts of each phase disposed in the container interior. Those having ordinary skill in the art would understand how to achieve various desired combinations of independent phase dispensing from the container.
A further aspect of the invention includes a process for dispensing a composition formed from at least two phases which are substantially mutually immiscible and have differing densities. In one preferred practice of the method, the dispensing uses a container with a variable volume interior and a pump on the container. The process preferably includes selectively arranging the container in a position so as to separate the phases through the effect of their density differences. Thus, one of the phases will be in flow communication with an inlet passage of the pump such that actuating the pump dispenses essentially only that phase of the composition.
The process further includes agitating the contents of the container or the container itself so as to produce a temporary mixture of the two phases. Actuating the pump after such agitation dispenses a mixture formed partly from each of the phases of the composition, the ratio of the concentrations of the phases depending particularly on the degree and time period of agitation.
Preferably, in the case of a composition comprising a first liquid phase and a second liquid phase, the second liquid phase represents approximately 2% to approximately 50% by volume of the total volume of the composition and more preferably approximately 5% to approximately 30% of the total volume of the composition.
The process for dispensing may also include selectively arranging the container in a second position different than that of the first to again separate the phases through the effect of their density differences. Thus, the other of the phases will be in flow communication with the inlet passage of the pump, such that actuating the pump dispenses essentially only that phase of the composition.
Therefore, using the above-described process, it is possible to selectively dispense, either essentially the first phase or essentially the second phase one at a time, or a mixture of the two phases at the same time. This process is particularly suited to the dispensing of two liquid phases.
Aside from the arrangements set forth hereinabove, the invention includes a number of other arrangements which will be explained hereinbelow, by way of non-limiting exemplary embodiments which are described with reference to the appended drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. In the drawings:
FIGS. 1A-1C are a vertical cross-sectional views of a dispenser according to an embodiment of the present invention; and
FIGS. 2A-2B are a vertical cross-sectional view of a dispenser according to another embodiment of the present invention.